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cleong

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Posts posted by cleong

  1. Posted

    Here's what I am doing:

    • Usual hacking and demolition of the entire place as renovations done by previous owner was 25yrs ago

    Flooring

    • Marble (living/dining/utility)

    • Parquet (upstairs)

    • Homo (kitchen/3 toilets)

    • Slate (balcony) nt sure whether there’s wall tiles

    Stairs

    • Parquet (entire stairs)

    • Glass with stainless steel bars for railings Glass with wooden posts

    • Partition to create a store below

    Windows / Grills

    • Entire house

    Carpentry

    • 3 2 rooms wardrobes (6 panels type so a bit bigger than usual)

    • Altar

    • TV console

    • Vanity cabinet (2 toilets) with corresponding mirrors with hidden cabinets behind

    • Boxing of pipings in 2 toilets

    Doors / changing of frames

    • Solid Veneer (main/3 bedrooms/utility/2 toilets)

    • PVC (kitchen toilet) Slide and fold type

    • Fixed glass panel for 1/3 of balcony opening. 2/3 folding glass doors Full width folding glass doors in aluminium frame (6 panels)

    • Glass opening for kitchen (1 fixed panel with glass door)

    • main gate

    Lbox / False ceiling

    • 3 bedrooms (L-box)

    • Living/dining/foyer ( combi of both)

    Reconstruction

    • Extension of MBR to the void so that the room becomes bigger I'm not sure you can build into this void, you should check with HDB

    • Re-positioning of 1 bedroom door to make the room bigger

    • Recess area at kitchen toilet to store washer and dryer (kitchen toilet becomes smaller but still enough for shower, inclu ventilation window above the door for the toilet) I'm rebuilding the toilet and shower here.

    • Purchasing recess area to create a small foyer at entrance

    • Re-positioning of utility room door with ventilation windows above the door

    Kitchen

    • As seen in 3D pics. With black “Indian Galaxy” granite top and black glass backsplash (similar layout to yours just simplified)

    Electrical Quotation

    • Rewiring

    • Sockets

    • Usual points (scv, ceiling fan, aircon, telephone)

    • Switches etc

    Painting

    • Plastering (entire place)

    Toilets

    • Glass shower screen for 2 toilets

  3. Posted · Edited by cleong

    I bought my EM with an eye towards futureproofing for our future family expansion, be it kids, or parents coming to live with us. Value appreciation would be ideal, but was not a deciding factor. With newer HDB flats, you simply get barely enough for your essentials, while

    in an EM, with your basic items, you actually get a feeling of spaciousness.

    I'm getting renovation quotes of around 50k, estimating 20-30k worth of furnishings.

    When all is said and done my EM would owe me very near 600k. If I sell my EM it would be because I'm migrating.

    1. Cost of rewiring depends on your number of lighting and power points. One quote est. 2 power points per room was $2500.

    2. If you're referring to roofing over your balcony with a frame and roof tiles, yes, but you need to get approval.

  6. Posted

    The highwater mark of practical and attractive HDB design would be the late 80s early 90s flats that were built in areas such as Bishan, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Bukit Batok. I remember Tampines actually won an international award for livable housing design. Those flats themselves were large, square and well laid out. The estates show good variety of high and low blocks to break the monotony of high density living.

    Sad to say, we don't see that anymore. When I was in the market for a resale flat, these were the generation of flats I was specifically looking for.

  8. Posted

    I heard px in serangoon central will shoot up in the coming months. Agents tell me 4 room closed at over 500K in June 2010. They mention mega Mall, Circle Line as the reasons why prices have overtaken previous favourites like Bishan and Simei. I noticed that prices in lorong Lew Lian still lagging behing Serangoon central. Any1 know the reason why?? Maybe juz like Ghim Moh and Holland V syndrome.

    The prices have already shot up in the past months from the moment the location of the megamall was announced.

    They tell you that it "will" shoot up to encourage you to buy now, but the prices are already high, probably higher than they should be. Check the HDB resale index for that area to gain an insight on recent pricing. Don't just go on asking prices that you see on the property websites. They're all speculative.

    Lor Lew Lian's a bit further away from the NEL and Circle line, and probably also because the flats are older designs?

  9. Posted

    Hi Everyone,

    I just bought an EM at Pipit Rd S$50K cov do you think it's expensive?

    Depends whether the house is in move-in condition or requires renovation?

    Its kind of like asking, I bought meat at the market for $5, is it expensive?

    Maybe you bought a tray of frozen chicken wings.

    Maybe you bought wagyu marbled premium Japanese beef.

    If you don't specify, no one knows enough to comment.

  10. Posted

    Hi, I'm new here.

    Anyone staying in EM in Woodlands?

    Been thinking of getting an EM there.

    Saw 1 unit at Blk 362 3rd floor, area 151 sqm.

    Seller asking for 515K (450 val, 65K COV)

    Still deciding if it's worth to buy it.

    Any advise is appreciated.

    Thanks.

    You got enough cash to pay 65k COV, renovate and furnish the place? Or is it in move-in condition?

  11. Posted

    Cleong : So u have bought a unit in Serangoon ? Any idea what will be develop at the enbloc units? Teban Vista are for those residents whose bloc had been enbloc? Hmmm... mayb wen the Teban Vista are up mayb the business would be improved. I did go viewing once at Pandan . The block face directly to the Temple but find that its too far fm the amneties.

    Yes, bought a unit in Serangoon. No idea what the plans are at the en-bloc-ed units but it should be similar to what happens at other HDB estates undergoing en-bloc, either its sold as BTO or HDB builds apartment blocks, but with higher population density.

    I had viewed one EM at Teban Block 51, I think it was 10th floor, some months back. The EM here are the cheapest in Singapore by a big margin, next cheaper lot is at Jurong West/Woodlands area.

  12. Posted

    hi, I'm a Pandan Gdns resident at 411 (3-rm). 413 is a point block in Pandan Gdns. so far i like staying here. it could becos i like quiet environment bah.. for amenities I always go to west coast market/West coast plaza. rarely go to JE unless I go to the library. for foreign workers, i rarely see them around Pandan. Anyway the amenities are all in Teban so more of them congregate there? or maybe becos of the construction site nearby.

    I'm currently staying in 412 till the end of the year when I up sticks to Serangoon. Been here since the estate came up. This area was previously prawn farming ponds.

    The reason why there's so much more FT in Teban is because Sheng Siong and NTUC, and also because the workers dorms are in Penjuru. My block got a few units that are rented out to FT, both PRC shipyard and Cycle & Carriage mechanics as well as Indian shipyard workers.

    The current shopping centre in Teban is quite underutilized - the two food courts upstairs were suffering poor business a few years back, at one of the coffee shops, the main tenant had to resort to multitasking and running other food stalls because he couldn't find tenants to run these food stalls to provide enough variety for the food court.

  13. Posted

    i lived in pandan since i was a baby until i got married, studied in defunct pandan primary school too. teban is just one street across from pandan and i never liked teban.. wahahaha...

    yeah, not near to any primary schools, my sis still lives in pandan and her kids in a clementi primary school now. not near to mrt, but then it's just a matter of getting used to. depends on where you work and where your kids will be studying wor. actually teban is not near to anything la. it's like a small ulu town lor.. always give me that feel... hawkers and shops there are only providing essentials, nothing fantastic... only nice thing is it's near to the reservoir..

    why don't you try those point blocks in pandan? environment different lor... area bigger than normal 5rm too... not too sure about the prices though..

    Recently one high floor 5 room at Block 413 was listed for 380k. 121sq m I think.

  14. Posted

    Wel....we've make the biggest commitment EVER !!! Already deposit 1K option fee.. Next ...guess have to reccee the location again n again just to ensure that we have make the right choice. Theres a road juz below the blk..with so many big lorries and vehicles passing thru..wonder it will be noisy at nite...???

    Lately there's been tiong chias like WRX and Civics dragging down West Coast Road late at night. I live just down the road a bit. You probably just need to inform the TP to crack down on them.

  15. Posted

    You are rite Cleong.We had reccee the area and indeed there are many foreign workers, big trucks and aso not near to MRT..Like what u said PUB is in the process of building up the reservoir for water related sports facilities.As of now what I can see the viewing deck platform is almost done up. What do you tink of the potential value near future should the water sports facilities are all fully done up and also if the Business Hub (which was planned to be near jurong east mrt) fully develop. Any comments ?

    You will continue to suffer from relatively low valuation for the property until the industrial area, or the workers are zoned away from the residential blocks in the estate. Your wife/kids may not feel comfortable if they come home late at night and walk past groups of loitering workers, some of whom may have had a bit to drink. Weird odors can sometimes be smelled in the air, it can be somewhat dusty/polluted compared to other areas, e.g. Marine Parade.

    If the watersports facilities are as good as Bedok Reservoir, then you'll expect pretty good appreciation. But with the foreign worker/industrial area element in the picture, it might just counteract each other. Business hub is probably too far to matter - and areas like Jurong East and Clementi enjoy better connectivity to the Business Hub than Teban Gardens will.

  16. Posted

    Hi there,

    Saw an EM at Teban Garden, Lift Level, #5 floor, facing the reservoir, Val at 420k. Asking for 18k. BUT HOUSE is very ORIGINAL CONDITION where need to do 150% reno....Is it a good buy?? Helpppppppp....

    That area has got many foreign workers in the neighbourhood. But in front of your flat PUB is in the process of building watersports-related recreational facilities. So the potential is there. But in the short term, the neighbourhood is the reason why the valuation is low. It is right on the fringe of Penjuru, a pretty large industrial estate, has got large trucks driving past your balcony, and is not near to MRT station.

  19. Posted

    Is it worth buying 40 yrs old unit. Built in 1970.

    What are the chances of en-block?

    Depends on many factors, but location is primarily the factor. Flats in the central region have been en bloc-ed like Redhill Queenstown and Toa Payoh. But there's old flats of the same generation that didn't get en-bloc-ed. For example, several blocks in Holland Drive have been en-bloc-ed but for some reason two old point blocks have been left standing among the recently completed new blocks.

    Buy old unit, you also unsure whether to do it up nicely or not. Otherwise your $50k renovation lasts 2-5 years only, before it gets razed to the ground.

  21. Posted

    This is my 2nd posts, just signed OTP for Hougang EM. Need little reno but we are newbie :P Pls guide us along, tks!

    mysweetlittlethings, I would like to know more about this roller shutter. Can share with me the details pls? What's the difference between roller shutter & roller blind?

    Curious, which area, how much valuation and COV?

  22. Posted · Edited by cleong

    Did u view in Jan this yr also?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OkoGIbTFGn4/S5N1...40/Picture4.jpg

    We were attracted by the high ceiling roof design as well as the layout. Dun mind the smaller area cos we dun wan to clean another extra toilet upstairs.

    I've been keeping up with the recent offers from the few blks.

    3 Units sold after me according to their respective agents, Val: 465k, Selling at 600K, 580K and 610K. Dunno how true also.

    Do agents purposely report higher selling price in order to push the COV higher the nxt time rd?

    Yes is the same unit. When prices are on the uptrend, reporting last done prices especially the COV component would push prices in an upward spiral. For the agents, who work on commission, the higher the prices the more their commission, of course it serves their interest to push the price as high as the buyer is willing to fork out.

  23. Posted

    Great view but transport can be a hassle.... no issue if u drive.

    More of concern is the proximity to workers hostels in Penjuru as well as the high proportion of foreign workers actually living in those few blocks. The reservoir view is fantastic, the air quality isn't too bad, but I don't like the neighbourhood's transient workers lounging about in the evenings and on weekends.

  24. Posted

    Yea. Perfectly true.

    I bought mine in Jan 2010 at

    VAL: 425K

    COV: 55K

    Is is overpriced?

    Felt that it was slightly undervalued, dunnoe true anot...

    Btw, it is 27yrs old only. Not Late 70s. And the entire place is nicely upgraded.

    I eventually bought mine at Serangoon North Avenue 1, valuation 445k, paid 35k COV. Mine's the typical EM configuration, bigger floor area but very common design.

    In terms of PSF mine would be cheaper, seeing as we both paid 480k but mine would be bigger. However Serangoon North Ave 1 is not as close to MRT as Hougang Ave 1 is. Overpriced or not, you would probably need to peg it against the full size EMs in your area.

    I'm not sure if we both viewed the same unit - it was a corridor unit at Blk 111, that week I viewed, the lift upgrading was just completed and opened for use. We did like the resortish feel of the place but the asking COV was so high it left us no money for renovation.

  25. Posted

    Has anyone been to Hougang Ave 1, Blk 111 or 120 or 122?

    Their EMs are really unique.

    - 4 Storeys in each blocks

    - Lower unit (level 1 and 2) has a cordened off area for Gardening/ Coffee table/ Alfresco etc.

    - Upper unit has slanted tiled roofing that really looks like a Private house, with high ceiling (Due to slanted roof) on the second floor of the EM

    - Upgraded Lift (For level 3/4 EM units, less than 8 in each block)

    Viewed a 3rd floor unit there before at Blk 111. The floor area is smaller than typical EM, it is called a 5 room maisonette. I think it is 130-140 sqm, can't remember. They're also pretty old, late 70s flats if I recall. The loft style roof is a nice feature, it makes the place feel airy. The configuration is split floor - from the entrance, you descend one flight of staircases to go to the living room and kitchen. Ascend a flight of stairs up from the entrance you go to the upper floor where there are three rooms. There is only one toilet in the master bedroom. The occupants of the other two rooms have to go to the kitchen for the other toilet.

    The unique configuration of the unit commanded a high price which we weren't prepared to pay. I recall the asking price was $50 or 60k COV when the valuation was $440k. The upper floor units are slightly bigger than the ground floor units due to the extended balcony.

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